Systems and methods for determining functionality of a display device based on position, orientation or motion

ABSTRACT

A system for interfacing with an interactive program is provided, including: a computing device for executing the interactive program, the interactive program being stored on a memory, the computing device enabling user control and input; a display device for rendering image content associated with an interactive program, the display device being configured to be attached to the user; wherein the computing device is configured to receive data from an image capture device to determine and track a position of the display device; wherein the computing device is configured to define at least two interactive zones, each interactive zone being defined by a spatial region configured to change a function of the display device when the display device is moved between the at least two interactive zones; and wherein the computing device is configured to set the function of the display device.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority as a continuation of U.S. applicationSer. No. 14/810,856, filed Jul. 28, 2015, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR DETERMINING FUNCTIONALITY OF A DISPLAY BASED ON POSITION,ORIENTATION OR MOTION,” which claims priority as a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/691,659, filed Nov. 30, 2012, entitled “SYSTEMSAND METHODS FOR DETERMINING CONTROLLER FUNCTIONALITY BASED ON POSITION,ORIENTATION OR MOTION,” which claims priority to U.S. application Ser.No. 12/953,375, filed Nov. 23, 2010, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORDETERMINING CONTROLLER FUNCTIONALITY BASED ON POSITION, ORIENTATION ORMOTION” (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,760, issued Jan. 8, 2013), which claimspriority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/302,071,filed Feb. 5, 2010, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMININGCONTROLLER FUNCTIONALITY BASED ON POSITION, ORIENTATION OR MOTION,” thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to the U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/623,352, filed Nov. 20, 2009, entitled “CONTROLLER FOR INTERFACINGWITH A COMPUTING PROGRAM USING POSITION, ORIENTATION, OR MOTION,” thedisclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to methods and systems for interfacing acontrol device with a computer device, and more particularly, methodsand systems for interfacing a control device with a computer programexecuting at a base computing device.

2. Description of the Related Art

The video game industry has seen many changes over the years. Ascomputing power has expanded, developers of video games have likewisecreated game software that takes advantage of these increases incomputing power. To this end, video game developers have been codinggames that incorporate sophisticated operations and mathematics toproduce a very realistic game experience.

Example gaming platforms, may be the Sony Playstation®, SonyPlaystation2® (PS2), and Sony Playstation3® (PS3), each of which is soldin the form of a game console. As is well known, the game console isdesigned to connect to a monitor (usually a television) and enable userinteraction through handheld controllers. The game console is designedwith specialized processing hardware, including a CPU, a graphicssynthesizer for processing intensive graphics operations, a vector unitfor performing geometry transformations, and other glue hardware,firmware, and software. The game console is further designed with anoptical disc tray for receiving game compact discs for local playthrough the game console. Online gaming is also possible, where a usercan interactively play against or with other users over the Internet. Asgame complexity continues to intrigue players, game and hardwaremanufacturers have continued to innovate to enable additionalinteractivity and computer programs.

A growing trend in the computer gaming industry is to develop games thatincrease the interaction between user and the gaming system. One way ofaccomplishing a richer interactive experience is to use wireless gamecontrollers whose movement is tracked by the gaming system in order totrack the player's movements and use these movements as inputs for thegame. Generally speaking, gesture input refers to having an electronicdevice such as a computing system, video game console, smart appliance,etc., react to some gesture made by the player and captured by theelectronic device.

It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems fordetermining, setting, adjusting, or otherwise affecting thefunctionality of a controller device based on its position, orientation,or motion. It should be appreciated that the present invention can beimplemented in numerous ways, such as a process, an apparatus, a system,a device or a method on a computer readable medium. Several inventiveembodiments of the present invention are described below.

In one embodiment, a system for interfacing with an interactive programis provided. The system includes: a server for executing the interactiveprogram; a game client interfaced with the server over a network, thegame client configured to send, over said network, position datadefining a position of a controller device; wherein the server isconfigured to define interactive zones, each interactive zone beingdefined by a spatial region having an associated specified function foran action of the controller device when the controller device is locatedwithin that interactive zone; and wherein the server is configured toset the functionality of the action of the controller device to thespecified function associated with the interactive zone within which thecontroller device is located.

In one embodiment, the game client is interfaced with a display; and theserver is configured to send, over said network, image data to the gameclient for rendering on the display.

In one embodiment, the network is defined by the Internet.

In one embodiment, a total volume defined by the interactive zonesdefines an interactive region within which the position of thecontroller device may be determined.

In one embodiment, each specified function is operable for causing anaction within the interactive program.

In one embodiment, the server is configured to dynamically determine theinteractive zones according to a state of the interactive program.

In one embodiment, the specified functions associated with two or moreof the interactive zones are similar functions which vary by degree.

In one embodiment, the specified functions associated with two or moreof the interactive zones are dissimilar functions.

In one embodiment, the action of the controller device is defined byactivation of an input device of the controller device.

In one embodiment, the game client is configured to wireles slycommunicate with the controller device.

In another embodiment, a system for interfacing with an interactiveprogram is provided. The system includes: a server for executing theinteractive program, the server configured to define a plurality ofzones, the plurality of zones being defined within an interactive regionof space for which a location of a controller device may be determined;a game client interfaced with the server over a network, the game clientconfigured to detect location data defining a location of one or morecontroller devices in the interactive region, the game client configuredto send said position data, over said network, to the server; whereinthe server is configured to track the location of the one or morecontroller devices based on the location data; wherein the server isconfigured, when a controller device is determined to be positionedwithin one of the plurality of zones, to set an action of the controllerdevice to have a function associated with that zone, the function beingdefined for causing an action within the interactive program.

In one embodiment, the plurality of zones are arranged in anon-overlapping and contiguous fashion so as to define a spatial matrixwithin the interactive region of space.

In one embodiment, a different subset of the plurality of zones isoperative for determining the function of an action of each of thecontroller devices.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of the zones has one or moreassociated functions which correspond to one or more of the controllerdevices.

In one embodiment, the server is configured to activate a zone indicatorwhen the controller device is determined to be positioned within one ofthe plurality of zones, the zone indicator providing a notification ofwhich of the plurality of zones in which the controller device islocated.

In one embodiment, the server is configured to, upon detection of atransition of the controller device from a location within a zone to alocation outside of the zone, cause a signaling response to beactivated.

In another embodiment, a server-implemented method for interfacing withan interactive program is provided. The method includes various methodoperation including: executing the interactive program on the server;receiving from a game client, over a network, position data defining aposition of a controller device; defining interactive zones, eachinteractive zone being defined by a spatial region having an associatedspecified function for an action of the controller device when thecontroller device is located within that interactive zone; and settingthe functionality of the action of the controller device to thespecified function associated with the interactive zone within which thecontroller device is located.

In one embodiment, the method further includes sending, over saidnetwork, image data to the game client for rendering on a display.

In one embodiment, the network is defined by the Internet.

In one embodiment, the interactive zones are dynamically determinedaccording to a state of the interactive program.

In another embodiment, a controller device for providing input to aninteractive program, the interactive program being executed by acomputing device and rendered on a display. The controller deviceincludes: a position determination module for determining a position ofthe controller device; a functionality setting module for setting thefunctionality of an action of the controller device; wherein thecontroller device is configured to be operated within interactive zones,each interactive zone being defined by a spatial region having anassociated specified function for the action of the controller devicewhen the controller device is located within that interactive zone; andwherein the functionality setting module is configured to set thefunctionality of the action of the controller device to the specifiedfunction associated with the interactive zone within which thecontroller device is located.

In one embodiment, the controller device further includes a zoneindicator configured to be activated when the controller device isdetermined to be positioned within one of the plurality of zones, thezone indicator providing a notification of which of the plurality ofzones in which the controller devices is located.

In one embodiment, the zone indicator is selected from the groupconsisting of a light indicator, a sound indicator, and a vibrationindicator.

In one embodiment, the controller device further includes a signalingresponse generator configured to be activated when a transition of thecontroller device from a location within a zone to a location outside ofthe zone is detected.

In one embodiment, activation of the signaling response generatorproduces one or more of a sound, a light indicator, a warning on adisplay, or vibration of the controller device.

In one embodiment, the controller device further includes an inputdevice; wherein the action of the controller device is defined byactivation of the input device.

In one embodiment, the input device is selected from a group consistingof a button, joystick, trigger, touchpad, trackball, or pressure sensor.

In one embodiment, the action of the controller device is defined by amovement of the controller device.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a generic interactive system, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary controller device, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of a motion capture subassembly.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 4F illustrate views of a controller atvarious locations in relation to a display, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5A illustrates an embodiment of a controller having multiplecameras, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5B illustrates a user holding a controller at different positions,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a three-dimensional coordinate system forcharacterizing the position and movement of a controller, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a user holding a controller in front of a display, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an overhead view of an environment in which a usermay interact with an interactive program displayed on a display, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates an overhead view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a side view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate side views of an interactive environmentfor providing input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program is shown, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates two users of different heights in an interactiveenvironment for providing input to an interactive program, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a logical diagram of a system for providingcontroller input to an interactive program, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 22 illustrates the components of a handle of a controller with anexpansion connector, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates a controller having sensors for improving movementtracking, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 24A illustrates an attachment for coupling to a handle of acontroller, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 24B illustrates an embodiment where the attachment of FIG. 24A isconnected to the controller of FIG. 22.

FIG. 25 illustrates hardware and user interfaces that may be used todetermine controller location, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates additional hardware that may be used to processinstructions, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 27 is an exemplary illustration of multiple users interacting withgame clients that are connected to server processing via the internet,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 illustrates a method for adjusting the functionality of an inputmechanism of a controller, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following embodiments describe methods and apparatus for interfacinga control device (controller) with a computer program executing at abase computing device by using visual cues for both user feedback andinput to the computer program. In specific embodiments of the invention,the position, orientation, or motion of the controller is used todetermine, set, adjust, or otherwise affect the functionality of thecontroller. As described in further detail below, the position andorientation of the controller may be determined by capturing images of astationary display at the controller, and determining the perspectivedistortion and orientation of the display within the captured images.

It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art, that the presentinvention may be practiced without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process operations have not beendescribed in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the presentinvention.

Throughout this detailed description of various exemplary embodiments ofthe invention, reference will be made to analysis of images to determineobjects or the properties of objects within the images. Such analysismay employ any of various image recognition methods and techniques asare known in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a generic interactive system 101. The system includesa computer 103 and a display 106. In various embodiments, the computer103 may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, agaming console, or other such device which executes an interactiveprogram that is rendered on the display 106. Examples of gaming consolesas are known in the art include those manufactured by Sony, Microsoft,Nintendo, and the like. The display 106 may be a television, a monitor,a projector display, or other such displays and display systems whichare capable of receiving and rendering video output from the computer103. A user 102 provides input to the interactive program by moving acontroller 100. In a preferred embodiment, the controller 100communicates wirelessly with the computer 103, as this provides forgreater freedom of movement of the controller than a wired connection.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary controller 100. The controller 100 asshown is designed to be handheld by the user 102. Various buttons 202are included for providing input to the interactive program. Theparticular functions of the buttons 202 are determined by theinteractive program, and each of the buttons 202 may or may not beconfigurable or assignable by the user 102 in accordance withspecifications of the interactive program. Trigger buttons 203 andjoystick 204 provide additional intuitive mechanisms for generating userinput. Though the controller 100 as shown is designed to be handheld, inother embodiments of the invention, the controller 100 may be designedfor manipulation by the user 102 in other ways. For example, thecontroller 100 may be attached to the user 102 by means which are knownin the art, such as a strap or harness. Or the controller 100 may bemounted to or take the form of an object which may be moved under thecontrol of the user 102. For example, the controller 100 may be part ofa steering wheel assembly, an instrument-like device, or other devicesor assemblies which may exhibit movement for the purpose of providinginput to the interactive program.

Additionally, the controller 100 includes a motion capture subassembly206, which consists of various hardware components specialized to enabledetermination of the position and motion of the controller 100. FIG. 3illustrates a detailed view of a motion capture subassembly 206 whichincludes an RGB camera 208. The RGB camera 208 includes a lens 210 andan RGB sensor 212. The RGB camera 208 has a field of view shown by theangle θ, and is utilized to capture images of the display 106. Based onthe orientation and the perspective distortion of the display in thecaptured images, the position of the controller 100 is determined. Andas the position of the controller 100 is tracked over time, so themotion of the controller 100 is ascertained.

In one embodiment, the lens 210 of the RGB camera 208 is a wide-anglelens. The use of a wide-angle lens provides a degree of latitude so thatthe controller 100 (and by extension, the RGB camera 208) may bemaneuvered to various positions and orientations while still maintainingthe display 106 within its field of view. In another embodiment, thelens 210 is a fish-eye lens, which is a type of wide-angle lens havingan extremely wide field of view. In some embodiments, the field of viewafforded by the fish-eye lens is approximately in the range of 270degrees. In other embodiments, the field of view of the fish-eye lensmay be greater than or less than approximately 270 degrees. In otherembodiments of the invention, the controller 100 may include multipleRGB cameras with overlapping fields of view, so that the combined fieldof view of the multiple RGB cameras is very wide. The multiple camerasmay be different types cameras, such as normal, wide-angle fish-eyelenses, etc. In one embodiment, the controller 100 is configured withmultiple cameras so as to have a full 360 degree field of view along allaxes, and thus may be oriented in any manner possible while still beingable to detect the display 106 provided that the line-of-sight to thedisplay 106 is not obstructed.

It is noted that wide-angle lenses such as fish-eye lenses exhibitoptical distortion to varying degrees. Generally, the wider the field ofview of a given lens, the greater the amount of optical distortion, asthe image plane which is increasingly curved in wider-angled lenses, isnonetheless captured onto a substantially planar surface (the sensor ofthe camera). However, the optical distortion characteristics of a givenlens are predictable. Hence, for the purposes of this disclosure, itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that such opticaldistortion inherent in a wide-angle lens is taken into account whendetermining the position and orientation of the controller 100 based oncaptured images of the display 106.

Additional details, embodiments, and methods for determining theposition and motion of a controller are provided in related U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/623,352, filed Nov. 20, 2009, which isincorporated herein in its entirety.

To determine the position, orientation, and movement of the controller100 during activity with the interactive program, the controller 100utilizes its RGB camera 208 to track the outer frame of the display 106.As the controller is moved to different positions and orientations, sothe size, shape, and orientation of the display 106 in images capturedby the RGB camera 208 change accordingly. These changes in the RGB imageof the display 106 are the result of both perspective distortion and theoptical qualities of the lens 210 in the RGB camera 208.

With reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, overhead views of the controller100 at various locations in relation to the display 106 are shown. InFIG. 4A, the controller 100 is located in front of the display 106, suchthat the display 106 appears in a captured image 252 taken by the RGBcamera 208 as shown. In FIG. 4B, the controller 100 has been movedcloser to the TV. The result as shown in the captured image 254 is thatthe display 106 appears larger in the image when the controller 100 iscloser to the display 106. At FIG. 4C, the controller 100 has been movedto the left side of the display 106. As a result, the image of thedisplay 106 as seen in the captured image 256 exhibits perspectivedistortion resulting from the location of the controller 100. The leftside of the display 106 appears taller in the image 256 than the rightside of the display 106, and the overall appearance of the display 106appears to be shortened in width. The perspective distortion effectsresulting from movement of the controller 100 are predictable, and assuch, the location of the controller 100 can be determined by examiningcaptured images of the RGB camera 226 and analyzing the perspectivedistortion of the display.

With reference to FIG. 4D, an overhead view of the controller 100 inrelation to the display 106 is illustrated, wherein the yaw of thecontroller 100 has been changed in comparison to that of FIG. 4A.Specifically, the yaw of the controller 100 has been negatively shifted(shifted towards the left) relative to the display 106. The result isthat in the captured image 258, the display appears shifted towards theright side of the image. Moreover, the display may exhibit someperspective distortion wherein the left side of the display appearsshorter than the right side.

With reference to FIG. 4E, an overhead view of the controller 100 inrelation to the display 106 is illustrated, wherein the roll of thecontroller 100 has been changed in comparison to that of FIG. 4A.Specifically, the roll of the controller 100 has been positivelyadjusted (clockwise rotation) relative to the display 106. The result isthat in the captured image 260, the display appears to be tilted in acounterclockwise fashion.

With reference to FIG. 4F, a side view of the controller 100 in relationto the display 106 is illustrated, wherein the pitch of the controller100 has been changed in comparison to that of FIG. 4A. Specifically, thepitch of the controller 100 has been positively shifted (shiftedupwards) relative to the display 106. The result is that in the capturedimage 262, the display appears shifted towards the bottom of the image.Moreover, the display may exhibit some perspective distortion whereinthe top side of the display appears shorter than the bottom side.

As can be seen from the foregoing embodiments, the position andorientation of the controller 100 relative to the display 106 can bedetermined by analyzing RGB images of the display captured by the RGBcamera 208 at the controller 100. The appearance of the display 106within the captured RGB images will change in accordance with changes inthe position, yaw, pitch, and roll of the controller 100 relative to thedisplay 106.

In various embodiments of the invention, the appearance of the display106 as captured by the RGB camera 226 is tracked by specificallytracking the outer frame of the display 106. The outer frame of manydisplays is generally of a uniform color (often a dark color such asblack or gray) which is conducive to tracking. Furthermore, the displaymay include characteristic design items such as a logo or lightindicating that the display is operating which remain stationary anduniform during operation. These design items may provide additionalfeatures which can be tracked for the purpose of determining theposition, orientation and movement of a controller.

With reference to FIG. 5A, an embodiment of a controller 100 havingmultiple cameras 270 a, 270 b, and 270 c is shown. The multiple camerashave overlapping fields of view so as to provide a very wide aggregatefield of view for the controller 100. Accordingly, the controller 100may be maneuvered to a variety of positions and orientations while stillretaining the ability to capture images of a display. As shown at FIG.5B, a user holds the controller 100 at an initial position A, such thatthe display 106 lies within the field of view of the camera 270 a.However, as the user 102 moves the controller 100 to a position B, thedisplay 106 is no longer in the field of view of camera 270 a, but fallswithin the field of view of camera 270 b. By employing multiple cameraswith overlapping fields of view, the display 106 can be tracked by thecontroller in a very flexible manner. This provides the user withfreedom of movement when using the controller as well as a broad rangeof motion and orientation which may be utilized as input for aninteractive program.

In one embodiment of the invention, a three-dimensional coordinatesystem is utilized for characterizing the position and movement of thecontroller. An example is shown at FIG. 6, in which a horizontal x axisand a vertical y axis are perpendicularly oriented in the plane definedby the surface of the display 106. A Z-axis is normal to the surface ofthe display 106 and describes distance from the plane defined by thesurface of the display 106. In various embodiments of the invention, theorigin of such a coordinate system may be located as desired, such as atthe center of the display 106, at one of the corners of the display 106,or at another predetermined location. As shown at FIG. 6, the origin ofthe three-dimensional coordinate system is situated at the lower leftcorner of the display 106.

When a controller is located at a position C, as shown with continuedreference to FIG. 6, a captured image of the display 106 by a camera onthe controller produces an image of the display having a characteristicperspective distortion. By analyzing this perspective distortion, it isdetermined that the position of the controller at position C is definedby the coordinates (9, 6, 0). Likewise, when the controller is moved toa location D, image analysis of a captured image of the display 106enables determination that the controller position has the coordinates(−5, 0, 2).

The foregoing exemplary Cartesian coordinate system is provided by wayof example only, and not by way of limitation. In various embodiments ofthe invention, the specific units of the coordinate system or ofindividual axes may vary, as may the specific location of the origin.Moreover, in alternative embodiments of the invention, other coordinatesystems may be utilized to describe the spatial position of thecontroller, such as a cylindrical coordinate system or a sphericalcoordinate system.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the functionality ofan action of a controller may be determined based on the controller'sposition or orientation. For the purposes of this disclosure, an actionof the controller may be any type of input which is capable of beingreceived by the controller and communicated to an interactive program.Thus, the action of the controller may result from a user activating orusing an input mechanism of the controller. Examples of possible inputmechanisms of the controller include a button, trigger, joystick,trackball, touchpad, pressure sensor, light sensor, audio sensor,microphone, etc. as well as combinations thereof. Moreover, the actionof the controller may be a movement of the controller itself, such as achange in the controller's location and/or orientation. Movement of thecontroller may be any type of movement which is capable of beingdetected for the controller, such as gestures of various kinds within aregion in which the location and orientation of the controller can bedetermined.

In some embodiments of the invention, the change in the functionality ofthe action of the controller in accordance with a change in its positionor orientation may be gradual. For example, a property of the controlleraction may be adjusted in a continuous manner according to changes inthe controller's position or orientation. In other embodiments, thechange in the functionality of the controller action may be discrete, sothat when the controller is moved beyond a threshold or into aparticular spatial zone, its function changes in a discrete manner.These and other embodiments illustrating position-based functiondetermination for an action of a controller are herein described.

In one embodiment, movement of a controller in a particular directioncauses the functionality of an action of the controller to be adjustedin a continuous manner. For example, with reference to FIG. 7, a user102 holding a controller 100 in front of a display 106 is shown. Theposition of the controller 100 is determined based on perspectivedistortion and position and orientation of the display in capturedimages of the display taken by the controller 100. X and y axes as shownare parallel to the plane of the display 106, representing movement ofthe controller in directions parallel to the plane of the display. Az-axis as shown is orthogonal to the plane of the display 106,representing distance of the controller 100 from the plane of thedisplay 106. In various embodiments, movement along one or more of theaxes causes a continuous change to an action of the controller. Forexample, movement along the z-axis may cause the “intensity” of a buttonpressed on the controller to vary, as determined for purposes of aninteractive program. In other words, pressing the button may conveydifferent values or levels depending on the position of the controller,the values or levels being interpreted by the interactive program for afunction and to cause an action within the environment of theinteractive program.

In one embodiment, as the controller is moved closer to the plane of thedisplay 106 along the z-axis, so the intensity of a button pressed onthe controller increases; whereas when the controller is moved furtheraway from the plane of the display along the z-axis, so the intensitycommunicated by the button press decreases. In another embodiment, asthe controller is moved vertically upwards along the y-axis, so theintensity of a button pressed on the controller increases; whereas whenthe controller is moved vertically downwards along the y-axis, so theintensity communicated by the button press decreases. The foregoingembodiments are provided by way of example only, and not by way oflimitation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous otherembodiments may be devised within the scope of the invention. In otherembodiments, movement of the controller 100 along any particulardirection may be correlated to the variability of a specific action ofthe controller, such as the intensity of a button or trigger which ispressed. In one embodiment, movement of the controller relative to aspecific location correlates to the variability of a specific action ofthe controller. For example, movement towards or away from the specificlocation may cause a change in an action of the controller.

In one embodiment, movement of the controller 100 in a particulardirection causes the intensity of an input provided by way of a joystickon the controller 100 to vary. For example, as the controller is movedalong the z-axis closer to the plane of the display 106, so theintensity of input via the joystick (or the joystick's sensitivity) maydecrease. This may be useful as a feature in an interactive programwhere the joystick controls a change in direction or movement of somesort. In the present example, as the user 102 moves the controller 100closer to the plane of the display 106, so the user is more easily ableto provide more finely controlled input via the joystick on thecontroller 100, as the sensitivity of the joystick is decreased.Whereas, when the controller 100 is moved away from the plane of thedisplay 106, then the input via the joystick is less easily controlledat a fine-level, but able to provide faster changes of a larger scale,as the sensitivity of the joystick is increased. In other embodiments ofthe invention, movement of the controller 100 in any particulardirection may be correlated to the intensity of input as provided via ajoystick on the controller 100.

In a similar fashion, a change in the orientation of the controller 100may be correlated to the variability of an action of the controller 100.In one embodiment, a change in the pitch of the controller causes theintensity of a button pressed or a joystick input to vary. For example,a positive change in pitch may be correlated to an increase inintensity. In other embodiments, changes to a particular action of thecontroller may be correlated to changes in the roll or yaw. In otherembodiments, changes to a particular action of the controller may resultfrom a combination of changes in pitch, roll, or yaw.

In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, a discretechange to an action of a controller's input mechanism may be correlatedto a change in a position of the controller. For example, when thecontroller is moved beyond a certain threshold or into a particularspatial zone, then a function of an action or input mechanism of thecontroller, such as the particular function associated with pressing abutton or moving a joystick on the controller, is changed. The change inthe function of the input mechanism of the controller may be one ofdegree, such as a change in the intensity or level of input provided byan input mechanism, or a complete change of the input mechanism'spurpose altogether—e.g. causing a button press to perform an entirelydifferent action depending on the position of the controller. In anotherexample, the aforementioned action or input mechanism of the controllermay be the actual movement of the controller, which may change as aresult of positioning the controller within a particular spatial zone.

Furthermore, it is noted that because the position of the controller isdetermined based on perspective distortion and orientation of thedisplay within captured images of the display taken at the controller,the aforementioned spatial zones may be determined to be at any locationwhere the controller is able to capture images of the display sufficientto enable determination of the controller's position.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the spatial zones for which afunction of an action or input mechanism of a controller is determinedmay be dynamically generated. In one embodiment, the location of aparticular zone may change or move over time. In another embodiment, aspatial zone may be generated on an as-needed basis in association witha particular portion or function of an interactive program.

Several exemplary embodiments illustrating adjustment of the function ofan action or input mechanism of a controller based on the controller'sposition are provided herein with reference to the provided figures.However, those skilled in the art will realize many additionalvariations to the embodiments provided herein without departing from thescope of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 8, an overhead view of an environment in which auser may interact with an interactive program displayed on a display 106is shown. Various regions of the environment are delineated by dashedlines, as described further herein. The position of a controller 100 isdetermined by capturing images of the display 106 at the controller andthen determining the controller's position based on analysis of theperspective distortion of the display 106 in the captured images, inaccordance with principles discussed above. A region 280 comprises anull zone, wherein the position of the controller 100 cannot bedetermined based on captured images of the display because thecontroller 100 is either too close to the display 106 or the controlleris located along a side of the display, and therefore unable toaccurately track the outer frame of the display 106.

It is noted that as the controller 100 approaches a side of the display,it may become increasingly difficult to track the outer frame of thedisplay, as the area of a captured image which is occupied by thedisplay decreases and the sides of the display in the captured imageappear closer to one another. The ability of the interactive system todetermine the position of the controller 100 based on captured images ofthe display when the controller is located at the sides of the displaywill depend to a certain extent upon the sensitivity of the system andits various components and processing. Therefore, the required locationof the controller along sides of the display may be approximated by aminimum angle φ defined by the plane of the display 106, a point at thecenter of the display, and the position of the controller 100. In oneembodiment, location of the controller 100 at or above the minimum angleφ facilitates proper tracking of the display so as to enable theposition of the controller to be determined.

In some embodiments of the invention, the controller 100 may includeadditional components for tracking movement and orientation of thecontroller, such as an accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope. Whensuch components are included in the controller 100, then it is possibleto track relative movement and orientation of the controller even whenit is located in the null zone 280. However, such components would notenable accurate determinations of position and movement to the sameextent as is possible with the image-based method based on capturedimages of the display taken at the controller as described above.Therefore, it is preferable for the controller 100 to remain outside ofthe null zone 280 for purposes of determining the functionality of anaction or input mechanism of the controller based on the controller'sposition.

With continued reference to FIG. 8, a zone 282 and zone 284 definespatial regions for which the function of an action of the controller100 is determined. As shown, zone 282 and zone 284 are approximatelyshaped like semi-circular bands, so that in order to move from one zoneto the other, the user may maneuver the controller 100 either towards oraway from the display 106. When the controller 100 is located within thezone 282, then a function of an action or input mechanism of thecontroller, such as a button or joystick or the movement of thecontroller itself, has a determined function. When the controller ismoved to zone 284, then the input device of the controller is determinedto have a modified version of the function or else a different functionentirely. For example, movement of the controller 100 from zone 282 tozone 284 may cause the intensity conveyed by pressing a particularbutton to decrease. Or it may cause the entire function of the button tochange.

With reference to FIG. 9, an overhead view of an interactive environmentis shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A display106 displays an interactive program to a user. The position and motionof the controller is determined based on perspective distortion andorientation of the display 106 in captured images of the display takenat the controller. Zone 286 and zone 288 are spatial regions for whichthe functionality of an input mechanism of a controller is determined.For example, when the controller is located within either of zone 286 orzone 288, then the functionality of an action or input mechanism such aspressing a button on the controller is determined to have a particularfunction for purposes of the interactive program. Whereas, when thecontroller is moved to zone 288, then the functionality of the sameaction or input mechanism (pressing the same button) changes to adifferent function. As shown, the zones 286 and 288 are adjacent to oneanother, relative to the display 106, so that a user may move thecontroller laterally in order to effect changes to the functionality ofthe action or input mechanism of the controller.

With continued reference to FIG. 9, in another embodiment of theinvention, the zones 286 and 288 may be useful in the context of twousers interacting with the same interactive program displayed on thedisplay 106, such as an interactive video game. For example, an actionor input mechanism of a first controller held by a first user in zone286 may have a particular function with respect to the first user'scharacter in the video game; whereas an action or input mechanism of asecond controller held by a second user in zone 288 may have the samefunction with respect to the second user's character in the video game.When the first controller is moved into zone 288, then the function ofthe first controller's input mechanism is changed. Likewise, when thesecond controller is moved into zone 286, then the function of thesecond controller's input mechanism may change in the same manner, or adifferent manner.

In one embodiment, each of the zones 286 and 288 operate as a designatedzone for one player, and a “keep-out” zone for the other. For example,the input mechanism of the first user's controller may be operative inzone 286, but become non-operative when the first user's controller isdetermined to be located in zone 288. And likewise, the input mechanismof the second user's controller may be operative in zone 288, but becomenon-operative when moved into zone 286. In this manner, the zones 286and 288 may help to maintain separation of the first and second user'scontrollers, and by extension, the first and second users.

In other embodiments, an audio, visual or tactile signal may betriggered when the first or second user's controller moves outside ofits designated zone. For example, a sound such as a beep may be playedwhen a controller is determined to have moved outside its designatedzone. A speaker for playing the sound may be provided at the display,the computing device, the controller, or elsewhere for this purpose. Inone embodiment, a visual cue is provided when a controller moves outsideits designated zone. Examples of a visual cue include a visual indicatorpresented on the display, activating a light or other visual indicatoron the controller, etc. In one embodiment, tactile feedback is providedwhen a controller moves outside its designated zone by vibrating thecontroller so that a user holding the controller will feel thevibration. In still other embodiments, other types of feedback forinforming a user that his/her controller has moved outside itsdesignated area may be utilized within the scope of the presentinvention.

With reference to FIG. 10, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.The interactive environment includes a display 106 which displays aninteractive program. A user 102 is shown holding a controller 100 forinterfacing with the interactive program. The position and motion of thecontroller 100 are tracked in accordance with principles describedabove, based on analysis of captured images of the display 106 taken atthe controller 100. The interactive environment includes zone 290 andzone 292, which are spatial regions for which the functionality of anaction or input mechanism of the controller 100 is shown. As shown, thezone 292 is a bounded region within the larger zone 290. Thus, as theuser 102 moves the controller 100 from one zone to the other, so thefunctionality of an input mechanism such as pressing a button, moving ajoystick, or moving the controller itself, is determined. In variousembodiments, the change in functionality may be a change in intensity orlevel, or may be a change to a completely different function withrespect to the interactive program. In one embodiment, the change infunctionality of the action or input mechanism of the controller is suchthat the action or input mechanism is operative when the controller 100is located within the zone 290 and non-operative when located in thezone 292. In this manner, the user 102 may be required to maintain aposition so that the controller 100 is within the zone 292.

With reference to FIG. 11, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.The interactive environment includes a display 106 which displays aninteractive program. The interactive environment includes zones 294,296, 298, 300, 302, 304, 306 and 308, which are spatial regions forwhich the functionality of an action or input mechanism of a controlleris determined. As shown, zone 296 and zone 298 are bounded regionswithin the larger interactive environment, whereas the zones 294, 300,302, 304, 306, and 308 are unbounded on at least one side. As a usermoves the controller from one zone to another, so the functionality ofan action or input mechanism such as pressing a button or moving ajoystick is changed. In one embodiment, the action or input mechanismwhose functionality is changed is the movement of the controller itself.It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the interactiveenvironment shown may be subdivided in any number of ways. The presentlydescribed examples are intended as merely exemplary embodiments, and notlimiting the scope of the present invention in any way.

With reference to FIG. 12, a side view of an interactive environment isshown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. An interactiveprogram is displayed on display 106. The user 102 provides input to theinteractive program via controller 100. The zones 310, 312, 314 and 316are spatial regions in which the functionality of an action or inputmechanism of the controller 100 is determined. The zones 310, 312, 314and 316 are vertically arranged so that as the user 102 moves thecontroller 100 up and down, the controller moves through the variouszones. When the controller 100 is located in each of the zones, theaction or input mechanism of the controller 100 is specified to have aparticular function. As the controller moves one zone to the next, sothe functionality of the action or input mechanism changes. In oneembodiment, as the controller is moved from zones 310 to 312 to 314 to316, so the intensity or level of input associated with the inputmechanism of the controller 100 is increased. As the zones 310, 312, 314and 316 are vertically arranged, this may provide an intuitive mechanismfor a user to provide increased intensity through an input mechanism.

With reference to FIG. 13, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.An interactive program is displayed on display 106. Each of the zones318, 320, 322, 324, and 326 defines a spatial region for which thefunctionality of an action or input mechanism of a controller 100 isdetermined when the controller 100 is located within that particularzone. The zones 318, 320, 322, 324, and 326 are arranged in a concentricmanner, so that as the controller 100 is moved from the central zone 318in any direction, the effect on the functionality of the action or inputmechanism of the controller 100 will generally be the same, inaccordance with the zones that the controller moves through. Thecontroller will move from zone 318 to zone 320, then to zone 322, thento zone 324, and then to zone 326. Each time the controller 100 enters anew zone, the functionality of the action or input mechanism of thecontroller 100 may change in a predetermined fashion.

With reference to FIG. 14, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.An interactive program is displayed on display 106. Each of the zones328, 330, 332, 334, 336, 338, and 340 defines a spatial region for whichthe functionality of an action or input mechanism of a controller 100 isdetermined when the controller 100 is located within that particularzone. As shown in FIG. 14, each of these zones extends radially from alocation 342, such that the zones have a wedge-like shape. Thus, thearrangement provided may be useful where it is desirable to adjust thefunction of the input mechanism of the controller 100 based on thecontroller's directional orientation with respect to a location.

With reference to FIG. 15, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment for providing input to an interactive program is shown, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. An interactive programis displayed on display 106. Each of the zones 344, 346, 348, and 350defines a spatial region for which the functionality of an action orinput mechanism of a controller is determined when the controller islocated within that particular zone. In the embodiment shown, four users352, 354, 356, and 358 are shown holding controllers 353, 355, 357, and359 respectively. The users 352, 354, 356, and 358 are shown located inzones 344, 346, 348, and 350, respectively. The zones are approximatelyradially arranged about the display 106.

In one embodiment, each of the zones 344, 346, 348, and 350 functions asa designated zone for each of the controllers 353, 355, 357, and 359,respectively, and by extension, the associated users of the controllers.It is recognized that because the interactive system relies upon theability to capture images of the display 106 at the controller, it isdesirable to prevent users from blocking each other's controller's viewof the display 106. Thus, by implementing designated spatial zones foreach of the users, it is possible to help prevent users from blockingeach other's controllers. For example, if user 354 maneuvers hiscontroller 355 out of his designated zone 346, and into either of theadjacent zones 344 or 348, then the interactive program may communicateto the user 354 that his controller is out of its designated zone by anynumber of ways. For example, a message or other indicator may bedisplayed on the display 106 which calls attention to the controller 355being out of its designated area. Or the interactive program may causethe controller 355 to exhibit vibro-tactile feedback, or emit a sound orlight, or some other mechanism for informing the user 354 that hiscontroller 355 is not in its designated zone. In this manner, it ispossible to promote order in the positioning of the multiple users ofthe interactive program. As shown, the zones 344, 346, 348 and 350 areimmediately adjacent to each other. However, in other embodiments of theinvention, the zones may be separated from each other by buffer zones.This may further help prevent users from accidentally interfering witheach other's controllers, and/or accidentally bumping into each other.

With reference to FIG. 16, an overhead view of an interactiveenvironment for providing input to an interactive program is shown, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. An interactive programis displayed on display 106. A controller 360 has corresponding zones362, 364, 366, and 368. Each of the zones defines a spatial region forwhich the functionality of an action or input mechanism of a controlleris determined when the controller is located within that particularzone. As shown, the zones 362, 364, 366, and 368 are arranged in aconcentric fashion, so that as the controller 360 is moved outward fromits corresponding center-most zone 362, it will pass through zones 364,366, and 368 in that order. Similarly, a second controller 370 hascorresponding zones 372, 374, 376, 378. The zones 372, 374, 376, and 378are also arranged in a concentric fashion. As shown by regions A, B, C,and D, the concentric zones corresponding to the two controllers 360 and370 intersect one another in various ways. Region A illustrates theintersection of zone 364 which corresponds to controller 360, and zone378 which corresponds to controller 370. Region B illustrates theintersection of zone 366 which corresponds to controller 360, and zone378 which corresponds to controller 370. Region C illustrates theintersection of zone 366 (controller 360) and zone 376 (controller 370).Region D illustrates the intersection of zone 368 (controller 360) andzone 376 (controller 370). Thus, the same spatial location maycorrespond to one zone for one controller and a different zone for theother controller.

While the presently illustrated example has been described withreference to two controllers having overlapping zones, in otherembodiments, there may be more than two controllers with zonesconfigured in any of various ways. The zones may be identical for eachcontroller, or different in accordance with the interactive features tobe affected by the zones for each particular controller. For example, ina multi-player game, each player may have different roles or havecustomizable options such as character types, weapons, etc. Thesevariable aspects of a multi-player game may utilize a different set ofzones for affecting the functionality of an input mechanism on eachcontroller. Thus, each player may have a different set of zones assignedto their controller device. These zones may overlap in various waysdepending on the location of the zones for each controller device.

With reference to FIG. 17, a side view of an interactive environment forproviding input to an interactive program is shown, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. An interactive program is displayed ondisplay 106. Each of the zones 380, 382, 383, 384, 386, 388, 390, and392 defines a spatial region for which the functionality of an action orinput mechanism of a controller 100 is determined when the controller islocated within that particular zone. As shown, the zones are arranged ina radial fashion about a location 394, so that a user holding thecontroller 100 towards the display 106 can maneuver the controller 100through the various zones by swinging it up and down. As the user somaneuvers the controller 100, the controller will generally follow anarc which causes the controller to pass through the zones. In oneembodiment, movement of the controller 100 in an upwards direction, fromzone 394, through zones 392, 390, 388, 386, 384, 382, to 380, causes anincrease in intensity or level of an input mechanism of the controller100 with each transition to the next zone. Movement in the oppositedirection causes a decrease in the level of the input mechanism of thecontroller 100. In other embodiments of the invention, the zones may begrouped in various ways. For example, when the controller 100 is in anyof zones 380, 382, 384 and 386, then the input mechanism of thecontroller 100 performs a first operation whose level or intensityvaries depending on which of the zones 380, 382, 384 or 386 in which thecontroller 100 is located. Whereas, when the controller is in any ofzones 388, 390, 392, or 394, then the input mechanism of the controller100 performs a second operation whose level or intensity variesdepending on which of the zones 388, 390, 392, or 394 in which thecontroller is located. In other embodiments, the zones may be grouped inany manner as is appropriate for the interactive program.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a user of aninteractive program may provide input so as to define spatial zones forwhich the functionality of an input mechanism of a controller isdetermined. For example, the user may maneuver the controller so as todefine boundaries in space which are determined based on tracking theposition and movement of the controller. These boundaries are thenutilized by the interactive program to define the aforementioned spatialzones which affect functionality of the controller input mechanism.Various embodiments are described herein. However, the specificembodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary, and should not beread as limiting the scope of the invention, but rather as illustrativeexamples. Those skilled in the art will undoubtedly realize numerousadditional embodiments upon study of the present disclosure, and theseadditional embodiments are recognized as falling within the scope of thepresent invention.

With reference to FIG. 18A, a side view of an interactive environmentfor providing input to an interactive program is shown, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. The interactive program isdisplayed on display 106. A user 102 provides input to the interactiveprogram via a controller 100. In accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, the user 102 maneuvers the controller 100 so as to provideinput to the interactive program which is utilized to define one or morezones for which the functionality of an input mechanism of thecontroller 100 is determined when the controller is located in thatzone. As shown in the illustrated example, the user 102 maneuvers thecontroller 100 in a downward arcing motion. By so doing, the path of thecontroller 100 defines a plane 396, which is illustrated at FIG. 18B. Asthe position and motion of the controller 100 are tracked, so theinteractive program detects the path traced by the downward motion ofthe controller 100, and utilizes the detected path to determine theplane 396. The plane 396 is then utilized to define a zone 398 and azone 400 on opposite sides of the plane. The functionality of an actionor input mechanism of the controller 100 is determined based on locationof the controller with respect to the zones 398 and 400.

With reference to FIG. 19, a perspective view of an interactiveenvironment for providing input to an interactive program is shown, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. The interactive programis displayed on display 106. A user 102 provides input to theinteractive program via a pair of controllers 402 and 404, each of whichis handheld. As shown, the user 102 traces an approximately circularpath by maneuvering the two controllers 402 and 404. The position andmotion of the controllers 402 and 404 is tracked, such that the pathtraced by the controllers is detected by the interactive program. Then,in one embodiment, the interactive program utilizes the path traced bythe controllers to determine an approximately cylindrical zone 406having an axis oriented towards the display 106, and a zone 408 outsideof the cylindrical zone 406. Each of the zones is utilized to determinethe functionality of an action or input mechanism of the controllers 402and 404, based on the location of the controllers with respect to thezones 406 and 408. While the presently described embodiment has beendescribed with reference to a circular shape, in other embodiments ofthe invention, the user may trace any two-dimensional orthree-dimensional shape, including various polygons and the like, suchas a triangle, square, cube, sphere, etc.

The foregoing embodiments of user-generated input utilized to determinespatial zones affecting functionality of an action or input mechanism ofa controller, are provided by way of example only. In other embodiments,the user may provide any kind of gesture input as allowed by maneuveringthe controller. For example, the user may simply hold the controller ata location of the user's choosing, that location then being detected bythe interactive program and utilized to determine the location ofvarious zones as previously described. Or the user may trace any kind ofline, shape, object, etc. so as to provide input which may be utilizedby the interactive program to define the various zones. Those skilled inthe art will realize additional embodiments without departing from thescope of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 20, two users of different heights are shown inan interactive environment for providing input to an interactiveprogram. A user 410 maneuvers a controller 412 to provide input to theinteractive program, whereas a user 418 maneuvers a controller 420. User410 is taller and larger than user 418. As such, when each of users 410and 418 hold their respective controllers 412 and 420 in the samerelative position, the controller 412 held by user 410 will be higherthan the controller 420 held by user 418. Similarly, the same relativemotion made by each of the users 410 and 418 will have different sizes,such that the motion made by user 410 is larger than the motion made byuser 418. By way of example, user 410 is shown maneuvering thecontroller 412 in a vertical manner over a distance 414. Likewise, theuser 418 is shown maneuvering the controller 420 in the same relativemotion across a distance 422. However, because of the difference in sizebetween the users, the distance 414 is greater than the distance 422. Ina similar fashion, the distance 416 covered by a step taken by the user410 is longer than the distance 424 covered by a step taken by the user418.

As different users may have different biometrics it may be desirable toaccount for these variances for purposes of providing input to aninteractive program. In other words, the interactive program may adjustthe effect of position and motion input so that the same relativeposition and relative motion input provided by different users havingdifferent biometrics will nonetheless produce the same result within theinteractive program. Therefore, in various embodiments of the invention,a user may provide biometric data such as height, reach, wingspan, andother kinds of biometric data to the interactive program. Theinteractive program may then utilize the provided biometric data todetermine the appropriate adjustments for the effects of position andmotion inputs provided by the user. In one embodiment, the biometricdata is entered directly by the user. This may be accomplished through agraphical user interface (GUI) or other type of interface.

In another embodiment, the biometric data is determined by having theuser perform certain maneuvers, such as positioning or moving acontroller in a specified manner. For example, the height of a user maybe determined by having the user position the controller at ground leveland then hold the controller at the user's height (e.g. at the top ofthe user's head) and determining the distance between the two positions.Or the user's wingspan may be determined by having the user hold twocontrollers out at arm's length on opposite sides of the user's body.Similarly, the length of a user's step may be determined by having theuser hold a controller in a fixed manner and then having the user take astep, and determining the distance traveled by the controller during thestep. The foregoing examples are merely representative of the types ofmovements and biometric data which may be input by moving thecontroller. In other embodiments, any of various kinds of movements andactions may be input by using one or more controllers, so as todetermine various kinds of biometric data.

With reference to FIG. 21, a logical diagram illustrating a system forproviding controller input to an interactive program is shown. Thecomputer 103 executes an interactive program 442 which can receiveinteractive input from the controller 100. The interactive program isdisplayed to a user via display logic 436, which sends video data to thedisplay 106 for rendering. The controller 100 includes a wirelesstransceiver 426 for facilitating wireless communications with a computer103, which also includes a wireless transceiver 434.

The controller 100 additionally includes an RGB camera controller 428which controls the on/off state of the controller's RGB camera. RGBimage capture logic 430 is provided for controlling the RGB imagecapture of the controller's RGB camera, providing a continuous stream ofRGB images at a regular frame rate such as 60 frames per second. Invarious embodiments, the frame rate of the RGB camera may be greaterthan or less than 60 frames per second. A higher frame rate yieldsgreater fidelity for purposes of position and orientation determinationof the controller 100. An RGB image analyzer 432 performs an initialprocessing of the captured RGB image frames. In one embodiment, the RGBimage analyzer determines the location and shape of the display withinthe captured RGB images. In one embodiment, this data is reduced tocoordinates within the space of the RGB images which describe theoutline of the display. These coordinates are sent to the computer 103for further processing, as the determination of the position/orientationof the controller requires reference to the dimensions of the display106. In another embodiment, the RGB image analyzer performs a hash orcompression of the captured RGB images. The compressed RGB images aresent to the computer 103 for analysis to determine the location andshape of the display in the images.

The computer 103 includes an RGB data analyzer 438, which analyzes dataregarding the captured RGB images from the controller 100. Morespecifically, the location, shape, size, and orientation of the displaywithin the captured RGB images is determined with reference to theactual dimensions of the display 106. As such, the position andorientation of the controller 100 is determined by the RGB data analyzer438 based on the perspective distortion and orientation of the displaywithin the captured images, and by reference to the actual dimensions ofthe display. The position is determined in 3-D space relative to thedisplay 106, and the orientation of the controller 100 is determined interms of pitch, yaw, and roll.

An interactive program 442 runs on the computer 103. In accordance withan embodiment of the invention, the interactive program 442 includesdynamic zone determination 444, which, based on the operation of theinteractive program, determines three dimensional zones which affect thefunctionality of input mechanisms of the controller 100. Position-basedfunction trigger 446 determines the function to be executed by theinteractive program based on received input from the controller, and thecontroller's position relative to the zones determined by the dynamiczone determination 444.

The above-described system of FIG. 21 constitutes means for providingcontroller input to an interactive program. The computer 103 constitutesmeans for executing an interactive program 442 which can receiveinteractive input from the controller 100. Means for displaying theinteractive program to a user are provided by display logic 436, whichsends video data to the display 106 for rendering. The controller 100includes a wireless transceiver 426 which provides means forfacilitating wireless communications with the computer 103, which alsoincludes a wireless transceiver 434.

The controller 100 additionally includes an RGB camera controller 428which constitutes means for controlling the on/off state of thecontroller's RGB camera. RGB image capture logic 430 constitutes meansfor controlling the RGB image capture of the controller's RGB camera,providing a continuous stream of RGB images at a regular frame rate suchas 60 frames per second. In various embodiments, the frame rate of theRGB camera may be greater than or less than 60 frames per second. An RGBimage analyzer 432 constitutes means for performing an initialprocessing of the captured RGB image frames.

The computer 103 includes an RGB data analyzer 438, which constitutesmeans for analyzing data regarding the captured RGB images from thecontroller 100. An interactive program 442 runs on the computer 103. Inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention, the interactive program442 includes dynamic zone determination 444, which, based on theoperation of the interactive program, provides means for determiningthree-dimensional zones which affect the functionality of inputmechanisms of the controller 100. Position-based function trigger 446provides means for determining the function to be executed by theinteractive program based on received input from the controller, and thecontroller's position relative to the zones determined by the dynamiczone determination 444.

In one embodiment, the controller 100 may consist of a handle and aseparate attachment which provides expanded capabilities. FIG. 22illustrates the components of a handle 524 of a controller withexpansion connector 502, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Although controllers defined within the spirit and scope ofthe claims may have more or less components, these exemplary componentsshow example electronics, hardware, firmware, and housing structure todefine an operable example. These example components, however, shouldnot limit the claimed inventions, as more or fewer components arepossible. Handle 524 is configured to be held by a user operatingcontroller 100 with a single hand. A user's second hand may, of course,be used to hold or select buttons on handle 524. A user holdingcontroller 100 can provide input by pressing buttons, such as top button510 and bottom button 508. In one embodiment input can also be providedby moving the controller within a three-dimensional space when anattachment is coupled to handle 524, such as the one shown in FIG. 24A.Controller 100 is configured to operate wirelessly, which facilitatesfreedom of controller movement in order to interact with the computer103. Wireless communication can be achieved in multiple ways, such asvia Bluetooth® wireless link, WiFi, infrared (not shown) link, etc.

Attachments providing expanded capabilities to handle 524 are connectedand disconnected to expansion connector 502. In one embodiment, anattachment enables the base computing device to locate the combinationof handle and attachment within a three-dimensional space via visualrecognition of images taken by a camera within the attachment itself.More specifically, and as explained previously, the location of thecombined handle and attachment is determined from images taken at thecontroller 100 based on perspective distortion and orientation of thedisplay 106 in the captured images. Other embodiments provide additionalcommunication capabilities to controller 100, such as an attachment thatprovides ultrasonic communication with the computer 103 or with othercontrollers in the field of play. In yet another embodiment, anattachment provides infrared capabilities to allow the controller tocommunicate via infrared frequencies with the computer, or to usecontroller 100 as a remote control for a TV or other electronicequipment.

In one embodiment, the attachment communicates directly with thecomputer and can act upon commands received from the computer, such asturning on an internal light or emitting a sound. In another embodiment,the attachment is directly controlled by handle 524 and the attachmentonly reacts to commands from handle 524. In yet another embodiment, theattachment can react to commands received from the computer or from thehandle.

Inside handle 524, printed circuit board 516 holds processor 512,Input/Output (I/O) module 506, memory 516, and Bluetooth module 518, allinterconnected by bus 522. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) module 520 alsoprovides interactivity with the base computing device, or with otherdevices connected to USB port 532. The USB port can also be used tocharge the rechargeable battery 530. Vibrotactile feedback is providedby vibrotactile module 528. Speaker 526 provides audio output.

Note that the above controller configuration is exemplary and manymodifications thereto, including eliminating or adding modules, wouldoccur to a person of ordinary skill in the art with access to thepresent Specification, and is well within the scope of the claimedinvention. For example, controller 100 can also include sensors formechanical tracking of the controller movement.

FIG. 23 depicts a controller 100 with sensors for improving movementtracking, according to one embodiment. Different embodiments includedifferent combinations of sensors, such as magnetometers 534,accelerometers 536, gyroscopes 538, etc. An accelerometer is a devicefor measuring acceleration and gravity induced reaction forces. Singleand multiple axis models are available to detect magnitude and directionof the acceleration in different directions. The accelerometer is usedto sense inclination, vibration, and shock. In one embodiment, threeaccelerometers 536 are used to provide the direction of gravity, whichgives an absolute reference for 2 angles (world-space pitch andworld-space roll). Controllers can suffer accelerations exceeding 5g,therefore accelerometers able to operate with forces exceeding 5g areused inside controller 100.

A magnetometer measures the strength and direction of the magnetic fieldin the vicinity of the controller. In one embodiment, threemagnetometers 534 are used within the controller, ensuring an absolutereference for the world-space yaw angle. The magnetometer is designed tospan the earth magnetic field, which is ±80 microtesla. Magnetometersare affected by metal, and provide a yaw measurement that is monotonicwith actual yaw. The magnetic field may be warped due to metal in theenvironment, which causes a warp in the yaw measurement. If necessary,this warp can be calibrated using information from the gyros (see below)or the camera. In one embodiment, accelerometer 536 is used togetherwith magnetometer 534 to obtain the inclination and azimuth of thecontroller.

A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, basedon the principles of angular momentum. In one embodiment, threegyroscopes provide information about movement across the respective axis(x, y and z) based on inertial sensing. The gyroscopes help in detectingfast rotations. However, the gyroscopes can drift overtime without theexistence of an absolute reference. This requires, resetting thegyroscopes periodically, which can be done using other availableinformation, such as positional/orientation determination based onvisual tracking of the display 106, accelerometer, magnetometer, etc. Ahand-held device can rotate faster than 500 degrees/sec, so a gyroscopewith a spec of more than 1000 degrees/sec is recommended, but smallervalues are also possible.

The information from the different sources can be combined for improvedlocation and orientation detection. For example, if the controller ismoved or oriented such that the display is no longer in the field ofview of the RGB camera, then the accelerometer's orientation sensing isused to detect that the controller is facing away from the display. Inone embodiment, controller 100 includes speaker 526 to provide audiofeedback to the player. The controller can produce a beep when thedisplay is not in the RGB camera's field of view, prompting the playerto orientate the controller in the right direction or to come back intothe field of play.

FIG. 24A depicts an attachment 602 for the handle 524 with a “rich”feature set. It should be appreciated that the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 23A is exemplary and other embodiments may include a subset of thefeatures of attachment 602. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 23Ashould therefore not be interpreted to be exclusive or limiting, butrather exemplary or illustrative.

The different modules in spherical attachment 602 are interconnected viaa common bus, but other interconnection mechanisms are possible.Connector 604 provides the interface to connect or disconnect attachment602 from the controller. Attachment 602 includes a processor or circuitplus memory allowing the attachment to process computer instructions.Further, attachment 602 includes communication modules such asultrasound, infrared, and WiFi. Such communications enable theattachment to communicate with the computer or other electronic devices,which is referred to herein as a communications interface between thecontroller and the computer or any other electronic device. In oneembodiment, the attachment operates as a modem by receiving informationfrom the controller and forwarding the information to the computer, andvice versa.

Information received by the attachment and passed to the controller isused to change the state of the controller. For example, the controllermay emit a sound, change button configuration, disable the controller,load registers in memory, send a command to the attachment to light up,etc. The information received by the computer is used by the interactiveprogram to update the state of the interactive program. For example, theinteractive program may move an avatar on the screen or change thestatus of the avatar, fire a weapon, start a game, select an option in amenu, etc.

An accelerometer, a magnetometer and a gyroscope provide mechanicalinformation related to the movement of the attachment. In oneembodiment, the mechanical or inertial information is combined withother location determination information, such as visual tracking of thedisplay, in order to refine the determination of the location of thecontroller-attachment combo.

An internal light emitting device allows the attachment to be lit fromthe inside to provide user feedback. In one embodiment, light emittingdevice can emit light of a single color, and in another embodiment,light emitting device can be configured to emit light from a choice ofcolors. In yet another embodiment, attachment 602 includes several lightemitting devices, each device being capable of emitting light of onecolor. The light emitting device is configurable to emit differentlevels of brightness. The computer can provide interactivity to the userholding the controller by changing the light emitting status ofattachment 602, producing audio signals, or with vibrotactile feedback,etc. One feedback operation or a combination of feedback operations ispossible. In one embodiment, the type of feedback is selected from alist of predefined interactivity, and based on what is occurring in agame.

A microphone and a speaker provide audio capabilities, while a batterypowers the rest of the components, including the processor and the lightemitting device. The battery can also be used by the handle as a secondsource of power. For example, if the rechargeable battery in thecontroller is discharged, the attachment can provide the required powerso the user can continue playing instead of having to stop to rechargethe controller. In one embodiment, attachment 602 does not include thebattery and power to the modules in attachment 602 is obtained via anelectrical connection with the power source of the handle.

An IR projector and an IR camera provide IR functionality fordetermining relative position and orientation of the controller. An RGBcamera captures RGB images of the display so that the position of thecontroller may be determined based on the perspective distortion andorientation of the display in the captured RGB images.

A USB module allows USB communication to and from the attachment. In oneembodiment, the USB connection is used to charge the battery in theattachment. In yet another embodiment, attachment 602 includes files inmemory that are transferred to the controller, or to the computer, or toboth the controller and the computer. The files in memory can includeconfiguration files or programs that are transferred for execution inthe controller or the gaming system. The files can be used to identify aspecific user, to configure the controller or the base system, to load agame, to add features to existing games, etc. For example, one file is agame that is loaded to the computer for playing, another file containskaraoke songs that can be used in a sing-along game, another filecontains new player rosters and statistics for an update to a sportsgame, etc. In addition, the attachment can be used to store userparameters, such as player configuration for a particular game. Theplayer can then use the attachment in a different gaming system to playwith other players using the configuration obtained from the originalgaming system.

FIG. 24B illustrates an embodiment where the attachment of FIG. 24A isconnected to the controller of FIG. 22. In one embodiment, attachment602 interacts with controller 524 via a communications interface, suchas a USB interface. In another embodiment, attachment 602 is inelectrical communication with one or several internal modules insidecontroller 524. For example, processor/circuit of attachment 602 (asseen in FIG. 24A) is connected to bus 522 of controller 524 (as seen inFIG. 22), thus allowing the processor of attachment 602 to communicatewith the modules in the controller attached to the bus. The processor ofattachment 602 can access memory 516 to write or read data directly, orgenerate interrupts for processor/circuit 512 of controller 524 tosignal an external event which must be processed by processor 512.

It should be noted that the embodiment depicted in FIG. 24B is exemplaryand other embodiments may include fewer components.

FIG. 25 illustrates hardware and user interfaces that may be used todetermine controller location, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 25 schematically illustrates the overall systemarchitecture of the Sony® Playstation 3® entertainment device, a consolethat may be compatible for interfacing a control device with a computerprogram executing at a base computing device in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. A system unit 700 is provided,with various peripheral devices connectable to the system unit 700. Thesystem unit 700 comprises: a Cell processor 728; a Rambus® dynamicrandom access memory (XDRAM) unit 726; a Reality Synthesizer graphicsunit 730 with a dedicated video random access memory (VRAM) unit 732;and an I/O bridge 734. The system unit 700 also comprises a Blu Ray®Disk BD-ROM® optical disk reader 740 for reading from a disk 740 a and aremovable slot-in hard disk drive (HDD) 736, accessible through the I/Obridge 734. Optionally the system unit 700 also comprises a memory cardreader 738 for reading compact flash memory cards, Memory Stick® memorycards and the like, which is similarly accessible through the I/O bridge734.

The I/O bridge 734 also connects to six Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0ports 724; a gigabit Ethernet port 722; an IEEE 802.11b/g wirelessnetwork (Wi-Fi) port 720; and a Bluetooth® wireless link port 718capable of supporting up to seven Bluetooth connections.

In operation, the I/O bridge 734 handles all wireless, USB and Ethernetdata, including data from one or more game controllers 702-703. Forexample when a user is playing a game, the I/O bridge 734 receives datafrom the game controller 702-703 via a Bluetooth link and directs it tothe Cell processor 728, which updates the current state of the gameaccordingly.

The wireless, USB and Ethernet ports also provide connectivity for otherperipheral devices in addition to game controllers 702-703, such as: aremote control 704; a keyboard 706; a mouse 708; a portableentertainment device 710 such as a Sony Playstation Portable®entertainment device; a video camera such as an EyeToy® video camera712; a microphone headset 714; and a microphone 715. Such peripheraldevices may therefore in principle be connected to the system unit 700wirelessly; for example the portable entertainment device 710 maycommunicate via a Wi-Fi ad-hoc connection, whilst the microphone headset714 may communicate via a Bluetooth link.

The provision of these interfaces means that the Playstation 3 device isalso potentially compatible with other peripheral devices such asdigital video recorders (DVRs), set-top boxes, digital cameras, portablemedia players, Voice over IP telephones, mobile telephones, printers andscanners.

In addition, a legacy memory card reader 716 may be connected to thesystem unit via a USB port 724, enabling the reading of memory cards 748of the kind used by the Playstation® or Playstation 2® devices.

The game controllers 702-703 are operable to communicate wirelessly withthe system unit 700 via the Bluetooth link, or to be connected to a USBport, thereby also providing power by which to charge the battery of thegame controllers 702-703. Game controllers 702-703 can also includememory, a processor, a memory card reader, permanent memory such asflash memory, light emitters such as an illuminated spherical section,LEDs, or infrared lights, microphone and speaker for ultrasoundcommunications, an acoustic chamber, a digital camera, an internalclock, a recognizable shape such as the spherical section facing thegame console, and wireless communications using protocols such asBluetooth®, WiFi™, etc.

Game controller 702 is a controller designed to be used with two hands,and game controller 703 is a single-hand controller with an attachment.In addition to one or more analog joysticks and conventional controlbuttons, the game controller is susceptible to three-dimensionallocation determination. Consequently gestures and movements by the userof the game controller may be translated as inputs to a game in additionto or instead of conventional button or joystick commands. Optionally,other wireles sly enabled peripheral devices such as the Playstation™Portable device may be used as a controller. In the case of thePlaystation™ Portable device, additional game or control information(for example, control instructions or number of lives) may be providedon the screen of the device. Other alternative or supplementary controldevices may also be used, such as a dance mat (not shown), a light gun(not shown), a steering wheel and pedals (not shown) or bespokecontrollers, such as a single or several large buttons for arapid-response quiz game (also not shown).

The remote control 704 is also operable to communicate wirelessly withthe system unit 700 via a Bluetooth link. The remote control 704comprises controls suitable for the operation of the Blu Ray™ DiskBD-ROM reader 540 and for the navigation of disk content.

The Blu Ray Disk BD-ROM reader 740 is operable to read CD-ROMscompatible with the Playstation and PlayStation 2 devices, in additionto conventional pre-recorded and recordable CDs, and so-called SuperAudio CDs. The reader 740 is also operable to read DVD-ROMs compatiblewith the Playstation 2 and PlayStation 3 devices, in addition toconventional pre-recorded and recordable DVDs. The reader 740 is furtheroperable to read BD-ROMs compatible with the Playstation 3 device, aswell as conventional pre-recorded and recordable Blu-Ray Disks.

The system unit 700 is operable to supply audio and video, eithergenerated or decoded by the Playstation 3 device via the RealitySynthesizer graphics unit 730, through audio and video connectors to adisplay and sound output device 742 such as a monitor or television sethaving a display 744 and one or more loudspeakers 746. The audioconnectors 750 may include conventional analogue and digital outputswhilst the video connectors 752 may variously include component video,S-video, composite video and one or more High Definition MultimediaInterface (HDMI) outputs. Consequently, video output may be in formatssuch as PAL or NTSC, or in 720p, 1080i or 1080p high definition.

Audio processing (generation, decoding and so on) is performed by theCell processor 728. The Playstation 3 device's operating system supportsDolby® 5.1 surround sound, Dolby® Theatre Surround (DTS), and thedecoding of 7.1 surround sound from Blu-Ray® disks.

In the present embodiment, the video camera 712 comprises a singlecharge coupled device (CCD), an LED indicator, and hardware-basedreal-time data compression and encoding apparatus so that compressedvideo data may be transmitted in an appropriate format such as anintra-image based MPEG (motion picture expert group) standard fordecoding by the system unit 700. The camera LED indicator is arranged toilluminate in response to appropriate control data from the system unit700, for example to signify adverse lighting conditions. Embodiments ofthe video camera 712 may variously connect to the system unit 700 via aUSB, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication port. Embodiments of the videocamera may include one or more associated microphones and also becapable of transmitting audio data. In embodiments of the video camera,the CCD may have a resolution suitable for high-definition videocapture. In use, images captured by the video camera may for example beincorporated within a game or interpreted as game control inputs. Inanother embodiment the camera is an infrared camera suitable fordetecting infrared light.

In general, in order for successful data communication to occur with aperipheral device such as a video camera or remote control via one ofthe communication ports of the system unit 700, an appropriate piece ofsoftware such as a device driver should be provided. Device drivertechnology is well-known and will not be described in detail here,except to say that the skilled man will be aware that a device driver orsimilar software interface may be required in the present embodimentdescribed.

FIG. 26 illustrates additional hardware that may be used to processinstructions, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. Cell processor 728 has an architecture comprising four basiccomponents: external input and output structures comprising a memorycontroller 860 and a dual bus interface controller 870A, B; a mainprocessor referred to as the Power Processing Element 850; eightco-processors referred to as Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs)810A-H; and a circular data bus connecting the above components referredto as the Element Interconnect Bus 880. The total floating pointperformance of the Cell processor is 218 GFLOPS, compared with the 6.2GFLOPs of the Playstation 2 device's Emotion Engine.

The Power Processing Element (PPE) 850 is based upon a two-waysimultaneous multithreading Power 570 compliant PowerPC core (PPU) 855running with an internal clock of 3.2 GHz. It comprises a 512 kB level 2(L2) cache and a 32 kB level 1 (L1) cache. The PPE 850 is capable ofeight single position operations per clock cycle, translating to 25.6GFLOPs at 3.2 GHz. The primary role of the PPE 850 is to act as acontroller for the Synergistic Processing Elements 810A-H, which handlemost of the computational workload. In operation the PPE 850 maintains ajob queue, scheduling jobs for the Synergistic Processing Elements810A-H and monitoring their progress. Consequently each SynergisticProcessing Element 810A-H runs a kernel whose role is to fetch a job,execute it and synchronized with the PPE 850.

Each Synergistic Processing Element (SPE) 810A-H comprises a respectiveSynergistic Processing Unit (SPU) 820A-H, and a respective Memory FlowController (MFC) 840A-H comprising in turn a respective Dynamic MemoryAccess Controller (DMAC) 842A-H, a respective Memory Management Unit(MMU) 844A-H and a bus interface (not shown). Each SPU 820A-H is a RISCprocessor clocked at 3.2 GHz and comprising 256 kB local RAM 830A-H,expandable in principle to 4 GB. Each SPE gives a theoretical 25.6GFLOPS of single precision performance. An SPU can operate on 4 singleprecision floating point members, 4 32-bit numbers, 8 16-bit integers,or 16 8-bit integers in a single clock cycle. In the same clock cycle itcan also perform a memory operation. The SPU 820A-H does not directlyaccess the system memory XDRAM 726; the 64-bit addresses formed by theSPU 820A-H are passed to the MFC 840A-H which instructs its DMAcontroller 842A-H to access memory via the Element Interconnect Bus 880and the memory controller 860.

The Element Interconnect Bus (EIB) 880 is a logically circularcommunication bus internal to the Cell processor 728 which connects theabove processor elements, namely the PPE 850, the memory controller 860,the dual bus interface 870A,B and the 8 SPEs 810A-H, totaling 12participants. Participants can simultaneously read and write to the busat a rate of 8 bytes per clock cycle. As noted previously, each SPE810A-H comprises a DMAC 842A-H for scheduling longer read or writesequences. The EIB comprises four channels, two each in clockwise andanti-clockwise directions. Consequently for twelve participants, thelongest step-wise data-flow between any two participants is six steps inthe appropriate direction. The theoretical peak instantaneous EIBbandwidth for 12 slots is therefore 96B per clock, in the event of fullutilization through arbitration between participants. This equates to atheoretical peak bandwidth of 307.2 GB/s (gigabytes per second) at aclock rate of 3.2 GHz.

The memory controller 860 comprises an XDRAM interface 862, developed byRambus Incorporated. The memory controller interfaces with the RambusXDRAM 726 with a theoretical peak bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s.

The dual bus interface 870A,B comprises a Rambus FlexIO® systeminterface 872A,B. The interface is organized into 12 channels each being8 bits wide, with five paths being inbound and seven outbound. Thisprovides a theoretical peak bandwidth of 62.4 GB/s (36.4 GB/s outbound,26 GB/s inbound) between the Cell processor and the I/O Bridge 734 viacontroller 870A and the Reality Simulator graphics unit 730 viacontroller 870B.

Data sent by the Cell processor 728 to the Reality Simulator graphicsunit 730 will typically comprise display lists, being a sequence ofcommands to draw vertices, apply textures to polygons, specify lightingconditions, and so on.

FIG. 27 is an exemplary illustration of scene A through scene E withrespective user A through user E interacting with game clients 902 thatare connected to server processing via the internet, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. A game client is a device thatallows users to connect to server applications and processing via theinternet. The game client allows users to access and playback onlineentertainment content such as but not limited to games, movies, musicand photos. Additionally, the game client can provide access to onlinecommunications applications such as VOIP, text chat protocols, andemail.

A user interacts with the game client via controller. In someembodiments the controller is a game client specific controller while inother embodiments, the controller can be a keyboard and mousecombination. In one embodiment, the game client is a standalone devicecapable of outputting audio and video signals to create a multimediaenvironment through a monitor/television and associated audio equipment.For example, the game client can be, but is not limited to a thinclient, an internal PCI-express card, an external PCI-express device, anExpressCard device, an internal, external, or wireless USB device, or aFirewire device, etc. In other embodiments, the game client isintegrated with a television or other multimedia device such as a DVR,Blu-Ray player, DVD player or multi-channel receiver.

Within scene A of FIG. 27, user A interacts with a client applicationdisplayed on a monitor 106 using a controller 100 paired with gameclient 902A. Similarly, within scene B, user B interacts with anotherclient application that is displayed on monitor 106 using a controller100 paired with game client 902B. Scene C illustrates a view from behinduser C as he looks at a monitor displaying a game and buddy list fromthe game client 902C. While FIG. 27 shows a single server processingmodule, in one embodiment, there are multiple server processing modulesthroughout the world. Each server processing module includes sub-modulesfor user session control, sharing/communication logic, usergeo-location, and load balance processing service. Furthermore, a serverprocessing module includes network processing and distributed storage.

When a game client 902 connects to a server processing module, usersession control may be used to authenticate the user. An authenticateduser can have associated virtualized distributed storage and virtualizednetwork processing. Examples items that can be stored as part of auser's virtualized distributed storage include purchased media such as,but not limited to games, videos and music etc. Additionally,distributed storage can be used to save game status for multiple games,customized settings for individual games, and general settings for thegame client. In one embodiment, the user geo-location module of theserver processing is used to determine the geographic location of a userand their respective game client. The user's geographic location can beused by both the sharing/communication logic and the load balanceprocessing service to optimize performance based on geographic locationand processing demands of multiple server processing modules.Virtualizing either or both network processing and network storage wouldallow processing tasks from game clients to be dynamically shifted tounderutilized server processing module(s). Thus, load balancing can beused to minimize latency associated with both recall from storage andwith data transmission between server processing modules and gameclients.

As shown in FIG. 27, the server processing module has instances ofserver application A and server application B. The server processingmodule is able to support multiple server applications as indicated byserver application X1 and server application X2. In one embodiment,server processing is based on cluster computing architecture that allowsmultiple processors within a cluster to process server applications. Inanother embodiment, a different type of multi-computer processing schemeis applied to process the server applications. This allows the serverprocessing to be scaled in order to accommodate a larger number of gameclients executing multiple client applications and corresponding serverapplications. Alternatively, server processing can be scaled toaccommodate increased computing demands necessitated by more demandinggraphics processing or game, video compression, or applicationcomplexity.

In one embodiment, the server processing module performs the majority ofthe processing via the server application. This allows relativelyexpensive components such as graphics processors, RAM, and generalprocessors to be centrally located and reduces to the cost of the gameclient. Processed server application data is sent back to thecorresponding game client via the internet to be displayed on a monitor.

Scene C illustrates an exemplary application that can be executed by thegame client and server processing module. For example, in one embodimentgame client 902C allows user C to create and view a buddy list 720 thatincludes user A, user B, user D and user E. As shown, in scene C, user Cis able to see either real time images or avatars of the respective useron monitor 106C. Server processing executes the respective applicationsof game client 902C and with the respective game clients 902 of users A,user B, user D and user E. Because the server processing is aware of theapplications being executed by game client B, the buddy list for user Acan indicate which game user B is playing. Further still, in oneembodiment, user A can view actual in game video directly from user B.This is enabled by merely sending processed server application data foruser B to game client A in addition to game client B.

In addition to being able to view video from buddies, the communicationapplication can allow real-time communications between buddies. Asapplied to the previous example, this allows user A to provideencouragement or hints while watching real-time video of user B. In oneembodiment two-way real time voice communication is established througha client/server application. In another embodiment, a client/serverapplication enables text chat. In still another embodiment, aclient/server application converts speech to text for display on abuddy's screen.

Scene D and scene E illustrate respective user D and user E interactingwith game consoles 910D and 910E respectively. Each game console 910Dand 910E are connected to the server processing module and illustrate anetwork where the server processing modules coordinates game play forboth game consoles and game clients.

With reference to FIG. 28, a method of adjusting the functionality of aninput mechanism of a controller based on its position is described, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. At method operation1000, interactive zones are determined. The interactive zones arespatial regions for which the functionality of an input mechanism of acontroller is determined. Thus, as the controller is moved from onespatial zone to another, so the functionality of the input mechanismwill change. At method operation 1002, the position of the controller isdetermined. In one embodiment, the position of the controller isdetermined based on perspective distortion and orientation of a displayin captured images of the display taken by the controller. At methodoperation 1004, the applicable interactive zone is determined bydetermining which interactive zone, if any, the controller is locatedwithin. At method operation 1006, based on the applicable interactivezone, the functionality of the controller input mechanism is adjusted.If the controller has not changed interactive zones, then functionalityof the controller input mechanism does not change. However, if thecontroller is found to be in a different interactive zone, then thefunctionality is changed accordingly.

Embodiments of the present invention may be practiced with variouscomputer system configurations including hand-held devices,microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. Theinvention can also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a wire-based or wireless network.

With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that theinvention can employ various computer-implemented operations involvingdata stored in computer systems. These operations are those requiringphysical manipulation of physical quantities. Any of the operationsdescribed herein that form part of the invention are useful machineoperations. The invention also relates to a device or an apparatus forperforming these operations. The apparatus can be specially constructedfor the required purpose, or the apparatus can be a general-purposecomputer selectively activated or configured by a computer programstored in the computer. In particular, various general-purpose machinescan be used with computer programs written in accordance with theteachings herein, or it may be more convenient to construct a morespecialized apparatus to perform the required operations.

The invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on acomputer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any datastorage device that can store data, which can be thereafter be read by acomputer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include harddrives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-accessmemory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes and other optical andnon-optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium caninclude computer readable tangible medium distributed over anetwork-coupled computer system so that the computer readable code isstored and executed in a distributed fashion.

Although the method operations were described in a specific order, itshould be understood that other housekeeping operations may be performedin between operations, or operations may be adjusted so that they occurat slightly different times, or may be distributed in a system whichallows the occurrence of the processing operations at various intervalsassociated with the processing, as long as the processing of the overlayoperations are performed in the desired way.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certainchanges and modifications can be practiced within the scope of theappended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is notto be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified withinthe scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for interfacing with an interactiveprogram, comprising: a computing device for executing the interactiveprogram, the interactive program being stored on a memory, the computingdevice enabling user control and input; a display device for renderingimage content associated with an interactive program, the display devicebeing configured to be attached to the user; wherein the computingdevice is configured to receive data from an image capture device todetermine and track a position of the display device; wherein thecomputing device is configured to define at least two interactive zones,each interactive zone being defined by a spatial region configured tochange a function of the display device when the display device is movedbetween the at least two interactive zones; and wherein the computingdevice is configured to set the function of the display device.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein one of the interactive zones is a designatedzone for the display device; wherein when the display device isdetermined to have moved outside of the designated zone, then thecomputing device is configured to render an indicator via the displaydevice.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a warning orvisual indicator presented on the display device.
 4. The system of claim2, wherein the indicator is an audio signal rendered via the displaydevice.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes aharness for attaching the display device to the user.
 6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the interactive zones are dynamically determinedaccording to a state of the interactive program.
 7. The system of claim1, wherein the image capture device is integrated with the displaydevice and configured to capture images of an interactive environment;and wherein determining the position of the display device is based on aperspective distortion in the captured images.
 8. A display device forenabling user control and providing input to an interactive program, theinteractive program being stored on a memory, the interactive programbeing executed by a computing device, the display device comprising: aharness for attaching the display device to the user; a communicationsmodule for communications with the computing device; at least one sensorfor detecting position or motion of the display device; a displayscreen; wherein the display device is configured to be operated withinat least two interactive zones, each interactive zone being defined by aspatial region configured to change a function of the display devicewhen the display device is moved between the at least two interactivezones.
 9. The display device of claim 8, wherein one of the interactivezones is a designated zone for the display device; wherein when thedisplay device is determined to have moved outside of the designatedzone, then the computing device is configured to render an indicator viathe display device.
 10. The display device of claim 9, wherein theindicator is a warning or visual indicator presented on the displaydevice.
 11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the indicator is anaudio signal rendered via the display device.
 12. The display device ofclaim 8, wherein the interactive zones are dynamically determinedaccording to a state of the interactive program.
 13. The display deviceof claim 8, wherein each specified function is operable for causing anaction or selecting an option within the interactive program.
 14. Thedisplay device of claim 8, wherein the function of the display device isan input received from the user of the display device and communicatedfrom the display device to the interactive program.
 15. The displaydevice of claim 8, further comprising: an image capture deviceconfigured to capture images of an interactive environment; and whereinthe position of the display device is determined based on a perspectivedistortion in the captured images.
 16. The display device of claim 8,wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one inertial sensorfor detecting position or motion of the display device.
 17. A system forinterfacing with an interactive program, comprising: a computing devicefor executing the interactive program, the interactive program beingstored on a memory; a display device for rendering image contentassociated with an interactive program; a controller device enablinguser control and input for the interactive program; wherein thecomputing device is configured to receive data from an image capturedevice to determine and track a position of the controller device;wherein the computing device is configured to define at least twointeractive zones, each interactive zone being defined by a spatialregion, wherein one of the interactive zones is a designated zone forthe display device; wherein when the controller device is determined tohave moved outside of the designated zone, then the computing device isconfigured to render an indicator via the display device.
 18. The systemof claim 17, wherein the indicator is a warning or visual indicatorpresented on the display device.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein theindicator is an audio signal rendered via the display device.
 20. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the display device includes a harness forattaching the display device to the user.